In a case brought before a Pennsylvania Appeals Court, the Court has ruled that animal chiropractic is within the definition of veterinary practice and does fall under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine. The petitioner is a licensed chiropractor but is not a veterinarian, although she has certification in veterinary chiropractic from the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association. The Board ordered that, in order to provide chiropractic care to animals, the practitioner must become a licensed veterinarian or only perform the care under the supervision of a Pennsylvania-licensed veterinarian.
January 19, 2022
December 09, 2021
Debate over physician assistant/associate title
In May 2021, the American Academy of Physician Assistants changed its name to the American Academy of Physician Associates and has been advocating for state legislatures and regulatory bodies to adopt the name change, in recognition that PAs provide care as part of a team and do not have direct physician oversight of their work. The American Medical Association and the American Osteopathic Association have warned of confusion resulting for the patient.
December 01, 2021
Update: no nurse title protection in UK
The UK Parliament has voted against an amendment to the Health and Care Bill that would have protected the job title "nurse." Though "registered nurse" and "nursing associate" among others are protected titles, "nurse" alone is not. The amendment would have prohibited anyone from practicing "under any name, style or title containing the word 'nurse'" if they are not registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The UK Health Minister spoke against the amendment because, as drafted, it did not adequately address the impact on groups such as dental nurses and veterinary nurses.
July 07, 2021
Update: UK government to consider nursing job titles
A petition in the UK to protect the title "nurse" has received the required signatures for government action, and the Department of Health and Social Care "will consider in detail whether the protection of title offences relating to registered nurses, midwives and nursing associates are the right ones when bringing forward reform of the NMC’s [Nursing and Midwifery Council] legal framework, following our consultation on the reform of all healthcare professional regulation."
June 23, 2021
North Carolina: case related to unlicensed practice of engineering
The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Surveyors and Engineers was made aware of a situation in which an individual formerly employed as an engineer by a manufacturer (and thus with an "industrial exemption" from engineering licensure requirements) has given free public testimony on technical matters in a lawsuit. The Board responded that "the definition of engineering includes testimony if engineering education, training or experience is required to render the testimony," and such testimony would require a license. The Board initiated an investigation of unlicensed practice. The individual has now filed a federal lawsuit against the Board, claiming a violation of First Amendment free speech rights.
June 16, 2021
UK: petition to make "nurse" a protected title
A petition created on the UK Government and Parliament website is calling for "nurse" to be a protected title in addition to "registered nurse." Current legislation only refers to the title "registered nurse," and anyone could practice under the unprotected title "nurse," even if they have no nursing qualifications. The petition needs 10,000 signatures in order to require a formal response from government.
June 02, 2021
Changes considered to physician assistant title
In May, the American Academy of Physician Assistants voted to change the official title of the PA profession to "physician associate," at the recommendation of a healthcare marketing research and branding firm hired by the academy. The American Osteopathic Association has issues a statement against the title change, citing that the change could create confusion for patients and risk their safety.
May 05, 2021
US: proposal for federal regulation of tax preparers
A proposal by the Biden administration would give the Internal Revenue Service the authority to regulate paid tax preparers at the federal level. Currently, only a few states regulate tax preparers (tax preparers referring to individuals who provide income tax preparation services without otherwise being licensed as an accountant, attorney, or enrolled agent). The IRS does currently have a voluntary registration program for tax preparers. With many tax preparation companies operating in multiple states, there is support for regulation at a national level rather than by individual states.
December 09, 2020
BC: renewed call for counsellor and therapist regulation
The Federation of Associations for Counselling Therapists in British Columbia has submitted a formal application to the Health Minister to regulation the profession. Currently, there is no regulatory body for therapists, and anyone can call themselves a therapist. The Federation is urging for regulation to be established now rather than after the ongoing regulatory system reforms are in place in BC.
July 09, 2020
Saskatchewan: title regulation of "financial planner" and "financial advisor"
The Financial Planners and Financial Advisors Act has been passed in Saskatchewan, restricting the use of the titles "financial planner" and "financial advisor." The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan will develop regulations in accordance with the Act, with a goal to be consistent with regulations being developed by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, which hopes to have regulations in effect by 2021.
